Lunar Sea and the Big Bad Wolf
by The Dude Wearing Glasses
Summary: Tsukiumi was sure that she was going crazy when she started seeing people turn into animals and monsters. However, she soon realized that there was more to her delusion when she met a wolf wearing human skin.


_Sekirei and Grimm belongs to their respective owner_

**I**

Minato sighed as he failed to find his number on the announcement board, not that it surprised him or anything really. He was a recently reformed delinquent and it was barely a year since he got clean of his previous lifestyle. Yet here he was, trying to apply to the most prestigious university in the entirety of Japan. If he had, say, three more years to prepare then maybe but as it was, getting to Shin Teito University was plainly, simply, and goddamned impossible.

He took his phone out of his trousers and pressed the speed dial keyed to his mother. Better tell her now than have her found out later, he supposed.

"Good afternoon, Minato."

"Hey mom," he said softly. "The results are out and… well, kinda went the way I expected it."

Minato picked up a sigh on the other end, followed shortly by the distinctive clicking sound of a lighter lighting something on fire, a cigarette presumably. "I couldn't really say that I'm disappointed, really. Since you've told me that this would happen" she said. "Just try better next time."

"I know mom," nodded Minato. "I'll be going job hunting tomorrow."

"Good, good. Better that than staring at a ceiling for a year," said the woman. "I'll put in some good words for you."

"Thanks," smiled the young man, running his hand through his messy hair. "See you around mother."

"See you too. Remember to find the shop I told you about and pick up your prescription."

She disconnected the call after giving him the reminder and he began the trek back to his lodging. However, he had to make a detour first to pick up his medicine. He'd go to his usual place, but the Council had shut down the one he used before for unauthorized activities. Fortunately, his mother picked up a new place.

His destination was rather difficult to find, tuckered away within an inconspicuous alley in the heart of Shin Teito. From the outside, it looked rather grimy and dirty, with wall with so much graffiti that he couldn't tell its true colour and window covered in dust. The door was solid oak with peeling white paint and a window of stained glass. Embossed on its fractal surface was the phrase 'Gecko's Exotic Tea and Spice Shop' in both English and Japanese.

Minato pushed the door open, causing the bell attached to it to ring. Inside was a room lit by a yellow lamp on the ceiling. There were shelves everywhere, the shortest one towered a metre over Minato's head, and each carried all manner of ingredients from the mundane like clover and garlic to exotic like that one jar that contained preserved rhino horns.

The shopkeeper was a man in his early thirties with close-cropped hair and a friendly smile that took his cigarette from his lips upon spotting Minato. "Hello young man," he greeted him cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"

Minato looked around first, making sure that no one was around, before he focused on the shopkeeper. "You know," he said.

"ID, please," said the shopkeeper before he rolled his head backward. As he did, the skin of his neck and face began rippling like water. Smooth, pink surface gave way to pale yellow scales and his square teeth lengthened and sharpened as his mouth widened into a rictus grin filled with sharp needle-like teeth. Three gashes opened on each side of his neck and smoke from his cigarette leaked out from it.

Minato returned the gesture, jerking his head to the side. He felt his skin rippled as he transformed, or woge as it was properly known.

The reptilian shopkeeper nodded and returned to his human form, soon followed by Minato. "Right, what can I do for you?" said the seller conversationally.

Minato took out a piece of paper from the chest pocket of his plaid shirt. "My prescription," he said.

The older man took one look on the paper and raised an eyebrow. "You're changing lifestyle, eh?" he asked with a knowing smile before going around the counter and began gathering jars of ingredient.

Minato nodded once as he watched, "You know, I've never heard of a Skalengeck running a spice shop before," he said casually.

"There's always first time for everything, you know," laughed the seller, bringing the ingredient back to a table behind the counter. Said table was laden with beakers, flasks, and other chemistry tools.

"Isn't that like leaving a cat in charge of a goldfish display?"

"That's why I smoke," said the Skalengeck chemist, lighting up a new cigarette after snubbing his previous one on an ashtray. "So I don't end up snorting the merchandise."

Minato hummed a response and fell silent, leaning against the counter as the shopkeeper whipped up his medicine. After half an hour, the older man handed him a bottle of amber-coloured liquid. He left after he paid for it, saying that he'd come by for the same thing in a month's time.

He grabbed lunch first at a nearby café, careful to order only vegetarian dishes. Then he added one teaspoon-worth of the amber concoction. As he ate the simple meal, the herbal drug began to work its wonder on his frayed nerve, lessening his cravings for meat and the urge to hunt.

He sighed as he chewed a particularly large slice of tomato. Not a year ago, his meals were fit for the king of beasts. Now, he ate what amounted to rabbit's food. Hunting was not on the list of things he could do either. The lack of meat and hunting would wreak havoc on his physical strength, since his kind required both to stay at peak strength. By the end of it, he would only be only as strong as the female of his kind.

Still, he knew damn well that it was his own damned fault. If he hadn't lost control the way he did, he wouldn't have to subject himself to this torturous regime of vegan diet, drugs, and yoga.

Speaking of yoga, he checked the clock on his phone as he chewed the last few mouthfuls of his lunch. It was a few hours before his afternoon yoga session. A walk in the park followed by a prolonged snooze in the sun would be nice way to unwind.

With his mind set on his intent, he paid his bills, bought bottled water for the journey, and set off for the picturesque city park.

I=I

Tsukiumi, Sekirei Number 9 hadn't had a good week. First, she had started seeing things that made her question her sanity. It started two days ago, when she suddenly felt a subtle electric tension in her jaw and forehead. Then a few seconds later, a woman on the street turned into something that resembled a rotting, walking corpse in broad daylight. It lasted only for an instant, but she would swear to whatever higher power there is that it happened. Afterwards, she kept seeing people turning all manner of things. Some of them were downright horrifying, like the man whose head became an insectoid abomination with long forked tongue or the aforementioned walking corpse woman, all heralded by the strange aforementioned sensation.

She was still battling her apparent slippage of sanity when Mutsu, Sekirei Number 5 and two other Sekirei showed up and started attacking her. She managed to shake them off for now, which she admit grudging was possible only because of her eternal rival. Homura, Sekirei Number 6 had created a distraction for her, allowing her to slip unnoticed by her pursuers. She hoped that Homura managed to escape too. Even if she didn't like him, she wouldn't want him to get hurt.

Because if he did, who would she fight to prove her skill?

She sat down on one of the benches in the park, putting her face into her hands. She felt like screaming and curse the world for her misfortune. First, she had to deal with her sanity slipping away, and now some pervert was sending his Sekirei to 'claim' her. Not helping was the strange sensation in her forehead and jaw, telling her that she was about to see someone transform into a monster again.

The sound of rustling cloth made he glance to her right, tensing up but immediately relaxed when she saw what caused it. Someone was sleeping in the adjacent bench, and the noise came from his shift in position.

Right now, she envied him for being able to sleep so peacefully.

Unable to think of anything else to do, she simply sat there and watched the man sleep from the corner of her eyes. He was obviously not a vagrant, since she smelled deodorant from him and he look clean enough though his hair was unbelievably messy. He wore a plaid shirt with its sleeve rolled up, displaying toned arms marred with countless scars, a quality that contrasted his overall clean cut look.

She looked tore her eyes away from the man, and froze.

Mutsu and her cronies were standing at the far end of the park.

She jumped to her feet and drew nearby water into a sphere floating behind her. Yes, she was supposed to keep the existence of Sekirei a secret, but not at the cost of her freedom.

"Surrender yourself Number 9, make this easier on bot of us," Mutsu called quietly as he strode forward, swords in hand.

Tsukiumi didn't bother to reply and simply send a jet of water to her pursuers. The swordsman replied by calling on the earth, erecting a barrier that her water couldn't penetrate.

The sound of crashing wave and rising earth jolted the sleeping stranger awake. "… What the hell?"

He slowly got up as Mutsu lowered his wall, glaring dagger at both him and Tsukiumi. "What the hell guys?" he asked casually, as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world. "If you want to fight it out, do it at night in a stone quarry somewhere goddammit. Don't bring the Grimms down on us law-abiding citizens."

When he uttered the word 'Grimm', Tsukiumi saw his face shifts for an instant. She didn't get a good look, but she saw the blazing blood-red eyes. As if Mutsu wasn't enough of a threat already, her sanity saw it fit to give her another thing to worry.

For some reason, the stranger suddenly looked afraid of her. It passed on quickly however as he turned to Mutsu and his cronies, "And really, man? You're ganging up on a lone woman, how low can you get?" he continued flippantly. "No, let me guess… Klaustreich... no, no, Coyotl. Only they would be so low."

His words set Tsukiumi heart fluttering. Even though she didn't need defending, the gesture he displayed was heart-warming to say the least.

"What nonsense," Mutsu replied evenly, raising a sword to point at the man in plaid. "Leave now before you get hurt."

"How about if you leave her," he gestured to Tsukiumi before putting himself between her and her pursuers, "Alone. I'm not exactly a saint but even I know that what you're doing right now is disgusting."

Mutsu frowned at the confident human. "Very well."

He raised his sword and swing, raising earth spires that raced toward him and her. The man in plaid grabbed her hand and took her out of the path as he dodged it himself.

"Okay, that's it. You bring this on yourself," growled the man. He jerked his head to the side violently, and Tsukiumi's jaw fell as he changed right in front of her in an instant.

His features becomes sharper while his skin darkened by a shade and his ears became pointed. His already messy hair stood on end as more grew around his face and on his arms. Brown eyes gave way to blood red ones that held ferocity and madness in them. Lastly, his nails lengthened to claws.

A bestial snarl escaped his throat, startling Mutsu and the other two Sekirei. The man-beast capitalized on their surprise, lunging forward. He wasn't as fast as a Sekirei, but he was close. Then he proved that he was as strong as a Sekirei when his hit broke Number 5's nose and dislodge a teeth. A knee to the groin caused the male Sekirei to double over in pain, followed by an elbow to the back of the head and a leg sweep that downed Number 5.

He then proceeded to lift the winded swordsman bodily and threw him toward his rushing allies. "Leave," he threatened in a voice that was vastly different to his previous one. It was as if a storm cloud learnt how to speak. "I haven't eaten someone in a good long while and you three look delicious right now."

Mutsu glared at the beast, but did what he was told anyway when the latter let out a threatening snarl.

He waited until the trio was out of sight before reverting back. "So… you're a Grimm," he said, gulping audibly as fear began to taint his features. "Um… so… what now? Are you going to kill me?"

Tsukiumi blinked at his strange question. "Are there any reason for me to kill you?" she asked archly, trying to get her mind off how her body was slowly getting warmer.

Wait, was she reacting to this… beast?

"That's what a Grimm like you do, right?" he explained fearfully, noticing Tsukiumi's growing anger. "Look, I'm not that kind of Blutbad anymore okay? No reason to lop my head. I'm not even serious with the mauling threat."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not going to kill you because I'm a 'Grimm'," she grounded out through her teeth before moulding water into a hard blade on her hand. "But I will kill you for making me feel like this!"

"Goddammit!" cursed the man-beast as he turned on his heel and fled with Tsukiumi hot his heel.

She persevered in her pursuit, but still lost him once she got out of the park. After a few minute of futile search, she let her blade dissipate before heaving a sigh.

"Tsukiumi?" asked a male voice, causing Number 9 to jump out of her skin.

Turning around, she saw Homura standing with his arm crossed, his long coat fluttering slightly in the wind. Even though a black facemask hid the lower half of his face, Tsukiumi could tell that he was smiling.

"None of your business," she snarled, smoothing out the white inner dress of her outfit before dusting off her long blonde hair and black outer coat. "Have you seen a man in plaid? I need to kill him as quickly as I could."

"Ah, so you finally found your Ashikabi, huh?" Homura smirked. "Well, I do see someone that fit the description running at a speed that would've shamed a lot of our fellow Sekirei. You must've scared him out of his wits."

"Unlikely," she scoffed, crossing her arms under her breast. "He scared off Mutsu."

Homura looked at her flatly. "I'm not kidding," she insisted, a bit frantically. "I don't know how, but somehow he did it."

Number 6 looked at her for a few seconds before nodding thoughtfully. "I see…" he scratched his chin. "Does he say anything?"

"Some threat and some nonsense words," Tsukiumi grumbled. "He said he's a Bludbad or something and he called me a Grimm."

"Blutbad? That's German," the male Sekirei scowled. "It means 'blood bath' or 'massacre'. Why would he call himself that?"

"I don't care," said Tsukiumi. "I'll kill him when I see him."

Homura sighed heavily, "You know, rather than killing him, why don't you tail him for a bit?" he suggested. "Make sure he isn't a threat first. If he managed to scare Mutsu, then there's more going about him," he then added, "And just because you don' want him as your Ashikabi doesn't mean someone won't react to him."

Tsukiumi really didn't like the sound of that. If other women wanted him, well they would have to get through her first… since she was the only one who knew what he was.

I=I

The day had been a disaster.

That was what went through Minato's mind as he dragged himself up to his apartment. He threw himself onto his futon, willing for sleep to come and claim him after the exhausting day. The fight with the earth-controlling swords-wielding Wesen had served as a reminder to his declining strength. If he were at peak strength, his punch would've caved his skull no matter how tough it was.

Now that he thought about it, he never heard of a Wesen that could raise earthen pillars like that. He knew one that could breathe fire, one that was virtually indestructible, and he even knew one that could manipulate nuclear radiation. However, elemental powers were never something that a Wesen could master. Not even the Hexenbiest, with their magic and potions, could do it like that. Furthermore, he did it without wogeing. The only other Wesen that had access to their power in human form was the nearly invincible Seigbarste.

Then there was the blonde Grimm. No matter what he did, he couldn't get his mind off her. Maybe it was the fact that she was perhaps the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. She had the body that supermodel would kill for accentuated by the clothing she wore, which consisted of high leather boots, black leggings that went as high as her mid-thigh, a short white dress that revealed a lot of cleave, and a long black coat that somehow complement the whole thing. Her eyes were the purest blue while her hair was like liquid sunlight that went well past her shoulder.

The more he tried to get her out of his head, the more she stayed. This scared him, since a Blutbad having a crush on a Grimm was like a sheep falling in love with a starving wolf. Not only was it dangerous, it also add a whole new layer of icky into the thing.

"Ai Chihuahua, I'm so bloody tired right now," he mumbled as he got up to turn off the light. "I'll think about this later. Maybe visit Father later on."

He dreamt of rockslides and angry blonde axe-wielding woman that night.

I=I=I=I=I=I

Tsukiumi stood atop a roof as the beast-man she met a few days ago hefted stacks of bricks and dug holes in the construction. He had taken off his plaid shirt and tied it around his waist, revealing a tight white undershirt that clung to his body as he worked his sweat.

She didn't… No! He was a monster, no matter how good he looked. She forced herself to remember his crazed red eyes… that originated from gentle, regretful brown ones.

She heard someone landing behind her. "Homura," she greeted without even turning around.

"Tsukiumi," replied the fire Sekirei. "Is that your Ashikabi down there?"

"Shut up. He's not my Ashikabi," grounded Number 9.

"You've been following him for five days straight now," he deadpanned. "Admit it, you're obsessed with him."

Tsukiumi wanted to scream at him, to tell him that the man he said was her Ashikabi was some sort of monster that had implied that he ate people. After all, the way the beast-man had broken Mutsu's nose had proven that she wasn't going crazy. Yet if she did tell Homura, the Sekirei of Fire would probably laugh at her.

She had done some research too. Her Ashikabi was probably a werewolf, something that humans thought to be the stuff of legend but evidently not. While she still had some discrepancies to deal with, like how he could transform without a full moon, at least it allowed her to arm herself with the silver knife hidden in her boot.

After a careful deliberation, Tsukiumi responded, "I'm just watching him to make sure he's not dangerous," she turned around to regard Homura with a glare. "Who else had the reason to call himself a 'massacre'?"

"I see," nodded Homura, conjuring a small fireball at the tip of her index figner. "Well, I'll jump down and deal with him."

Tsukiumi stomped a foot angrily, preparing to draw water, "Don't. You. Dare," she hissed. "I'll kill you if you do."

"Tsukiumi, stop wasting time, please," Homura sighed, putting out his fireball, "Get down there and make him your Ashikabi."

"Never! I'll never let anyone control me!" she yelled. Taking a calming breath, she continued, "Why are you so adamant about this? Why do are you so desperate to be someone's puppet?"

"Because Tsukiumi, it's entirely possible that I could never have one," Homura said sadly. "And being winged doesn't mean a Sekirei becomes a puppet. I want one not because I want more power, but because I want someone that I could trust with all my heart."

With that, he jumped off the roof, leaving her to her thought and her vigil over the beast-man.

I=I

Minato smiled as he opened the door to the church. It was quite far from his current dwelling and workplace, but distance was nothing compared to seeing his godfather and one of the people he trusted with everything. He wanted to see him earlier, as in four days earlier, but his job hunt take priority. He had disappointed his mother twice and there was no way he would do it the third time.

Father Mischa was currently in the middle of a sermon, so Minato took a seat on a bench and waited. Fifteen minute later, the modest mass got up to go home while Minato approached the tall, greying priest. "Good evening godfather," he greeted.

His greeting got him a smile and a quick hug. "How are you my son?" he said. "I'm sorry to hear that you didn't get in."

"It's okay Father. It's my fault anyway," shrugged the younger man. Then he frowned at the priest. "You look a bit… you haven't been healing people again, haven't you?"

"Umm…, don't tell your mother?"

Minato's face met his palm at this. "You know I have to tell mom, right?" he sighed. "Please be mindful of yourself, Father. There is such a thing as hospitals."

"I know, but…."

"Anyway, I need to talk Father," continued Minato, lowering his voice, "Its wesen stuff."

Father Mischa raised an eyebrow, but nodded anyway. The clergyman led his godchild to the modest living quarter behind the church and served up tea and borsch for dinner. As they ate, Minato told the greying older man the event from five days ago, taking care to mention the control over earth and the blond Grimm.

The last bit of information unsurprisingly shocked Father Mischa. His steel-grey eyes glowed green and the skin on his hand turned translucent to reveal similarly glowing veins under it for an instant before he managed to rein his woge. "A Grimm? Are you sure?"

Minato nodded as he slurped the last morsel on his plate before gesturing for more, "Does a cat meow?" he deadpanned.

"But there's only two Grimm active in Japan. One is in Okinawa and the other is in Kyushu," Father Mischa frowned. "I haven't heard any warning call from the Mellifers about a foreign Grimm"

"Trust me, she's a Grimm," grimaced Minato. "Though I don't know what the ones chasing her are."

"I don't know either but since they're not using a scythe, we can safely assume it's not the Grimm Reapers," Father Mischa scratched his bearded chin thoughtfully, "A new type of Wesen, perhaps?"

"Or a Pureblood," suggested Minato.

"Improbable, but possible," nodded the priest. "I'll contact the Mellifers tomorrow; see if I could get some bearing on the situation."

With that, they decided to shift their talk to lighter topics. Minato left the church three hours later, a happier man now that his godfather was on the case.

I=I

Tsukiumi watched as her Ashikabi exited the church, looking much happier than he had ever been as he said his goodbye to the fatherly priest and walked home. Her body began to grow uncomfortably warm as she leapt after him, keeping to the rooftop and trees.

She went a little ahead before dropping down under a streetlamp that her Ashikabi would pass, but out of the light. As he walked past, she stepped into the lit area.

The reaction was immediate.

He transformed, turning to the red-eyed half-beast but only for a second before backing away, fear etched on his face. Tsukiumi lunged forward and grabbed him by the neck, encasing her free hand a water blade at the same time. "Run away and I will cut you down," she hissed.

He froze at that, staring into her blue eyes with his scared brown ones. She could feel herself melt at his gaze. The warmth spreading from her chest due to her proximity was not helping.

She took a few deep breaths, steeling herself. "What are you?"

"Y-y-you can see me right? I'm a B-Blutbad," he stuttered.

Tsukiumi raised her blade threateningly, "What is that?"

"Y-y-you know the story of the Red Riding Hood?" he asked nervously. Tsukiumi scowled, remembering the little book of fairy tales that her adjustor gave to her to alleviate her boredom. Amongst the many stories from it, the tale he mentioned was one she liked the most. "W-well, my k-k-kind is t-the inspiration for the Big Bad Wolf, and also for the Werewolf myths."

"But I'm not that kind of Blutbad!" he added frantically when he noticed Tsukiumi's eyes narrowing dangerously and her blade moving closer. "I take drugs, do exercise, and eat nothing but vegetarian dishes so I won't go wild! I e-even avoid going out at full moon!"

Tsukiumi scowl eased, but only to a frown. The man sounded absolutely sincere, but most people would when they have a blade ready to gut them.

"Very well," she said slowly. "I'm going to release you now, but don't you dare run."

The man nodded so hard that his head threatened to tore off. Slowly, Tsukiumi released her grip around his neck, internally wincing at the bruise she left on his skin.

"You're not afraid of Mutsu."

"W-w-who?"

"The Earth Sekirei, the one that you punched five days ago," snapped Tsukiumi, causing the man to cringe. "Why are you afraid of me?"

"B-b-because you're a Grimm," replied the man nervously. "You are to us what bogeyman is to the humans. Thing is, human outgrew the bogey man, but we know that Grimms are real and will kill us if we're not careful."

"But I'm not a Grimm," she said. "I'm a Sekirei."

"B-b-but you saw me for what I am without m-me going into full-woge," he countered fretfully. "Only a Grimm could do that."

"I'm not going to pretend to know how I did that, but I am not a Grimm," the blonde woman said firmly. "I am Tsukiumi, Sekirei Number 9. The Water Sekirei. What is your name, Blutbad?"

"Sasashi Minato," he said reflexively.

"Why do you help me that day?"

"Well, I know you're a Grimm when you saw me, but I can't just leave," he admitted.

"You helped someone who you know is going to kill you?" she asked in disbelief

"Look, I thought you were a Grimm but I can't just run away!" he yelled, his eyes turning red for a moment, "I have a mother and sister, for God's sake! There's no way I'm going to leave a woman to get hurt!"

A smile tugged at Tsukiumi's lips though she resisted it. "What will happen if someone hurt your precious sister and mother?" she asked softly.

His eyes and posture hardened at that. "I will hunt down the motherfucker who did it to the end of the world and eat them alive, no matter who it is," he snarled fiercely, his teeth beginning to lengthen into fangs as his skins rippled. "Are you going to?"

Tsukiumi shook her head, "You know, it's strange," she breathed out. "Until now, I've always think that the idea of having an Ashikabi as disgusting. Right now, I want it more than anything," she stepped closer to Minato, who was slowly losing his hardened look to confusion. "Now I know what Homura want, and I think I want that too. I want you to be as devoted to me as your mother and sister. To hunt down anyone who hurt me till the end of the earth."

"W-w-wha…?"

"It seemed I've been looking for you all this time," she leant forward. "From now on, you are mine. I will not allow anyone but myself to hurt or kill you. Not Grimms, not Blutbads, and certainly not Sekirei."

Her lips met his, sealing their contract. Immediately, heat more powerful than anything Homura could ever produce consumed her body. A light brighter than the sun surrounded her as her wings appeared and a slight tingle between her shoulder as her crest came into being. Her strength left her as she savoured the surprisingly soft lips, forcing her to lean against him. A pair of calloused hands caught her shoulders and steadied her gently. Hands that were strong even now, but would only get stronger in her defence.

"Now, and forever."

I=I

To say Minato was shocked when Tsukiumi had kissed him right on the lips would be the understatement of the millennia. His brains simply couldn't process the events that was happening and initiated a reboot.

They separated after what seemed to be an eternity, Tsukiumi burying her face against his chest and sighing contentedly as she embraced him. It would be nice and all, but her grip was like a steel vice operated by one of the monstrously strong Seigbarstes.

"It's Blutbadden."

"Pardon?"

"The plural for Blutbad is Blutbadden," said Minato lamely, his brains still not working right. "Technically the correct one is Blutbadder, but Blutbadden is the one everyone people used."

The busty blond woman raised an eyebrow, "I see…" she hummed before nestling her head on his chest again.

"Umm… Do you have any place to stay?" he asked. The blond beauty hummed an affirmative on his chest, which threw his mind to funny, dangerous places. "Umm… I'll walk you there?"

"Alright, but you're not going back to that hovel you call 'home'," said Tsukiumi sternly, finally letting him go much to the delight of his creaking ribs. Then what she said registered fully in his head. "First thing tomorrow, you're moving out of that dump."

"Bu-but that's the only place I could afford..."

"I could afford better," scoffed Tsukiumi, reaching into her coat and pulling out a small black plastic card with the letter MBI etched on its centre. He might not pay attention to news, but even he knows that MBI owned almost eighty percent of Shin Teito.

He was about to ask her about the card when his phone suddenly rang. Not recognizing the ID, he debated whatever he should take it or not. In the end, his canine-like curiosity won out.

Upon accepting, the visage of a bespectacled man filled his phone's screen. What Minato noticed to the man straight away was his clothing, which seemed to be a cross between that of a respectable businessman and those worn by an evil overlord, consisting of an all-white three-piece suit and a high-collared cape with identical colour. Matching his clothes were his snow-white hair and pale skin. A gleaming pair of square lenses hid his eyes from view, immediately triggering Minato's 'don't trust this person' instinct. The young Blutbad recognized the man in white as Hiroto Minaka, the Chairman of MBI.

"Congratulation for being chosen by a Sekirei to join our little game, Sasashi-san!" the man in white said suddenly. "I wish you luck for the difficult day ahead!"

"Hello Director," greeted Tsukiumi.

"Ah, Number 9! You have no idea how surprised I am when I was told that you have been winged!" laughed Hiroto raucously. "I know your attitude won't last!"

"A woman is allowed to change their mind, are they not?" huffed the blonde beauty crossly.

"Well, my time is precious, so please listen carefully to what I'm saying. The Sekirei Plan is the name of the game you're joining. There are one-hundred-and-eight released Sekirei in this city. They will all fight each other until there's only one left standing. The last Sekirei and Ashikabi will then be rewarded with ascension to godhood and hold the world's fate in their hands," he smiled maniacally. "Isn't it exciting? All this fate stuff?"

It sounded rather dire and sobering in Minato's honest opinion. However, Hiroto Minaka didn't look like a person who would know what 'common sense' was even when it played bongo with his forehead.

"In addition to this, you are to keep the existence of the Sekirei Plan a secret, at least for now," continued the Chairman. "Should your reveal it, then I will use all the resources available to MBI to punish you, is that clear?"

"So not too different from the usual fare," Minato sighed before replying loudly. "Understood."

"Good, good. Now, I have things to do, so I'll leave you both to it."

With that the call disconnected, leaving an irritated and tired Minato to stare at the screen for a while until Tsukiumi snapped him out of it. "Come, you must be tired," Tsukiumi said, locking his hand in hers and began to lead him away.

"Can't we just go back to my godfather's place for the night?" offered Minato, desperate to find a way to not be alone with this blond woman. "He's a priest of a church near here. He usually have some beds ready for homeless people," he clarified upon seeing Tsukiumi's questioning look.

"Is he another Blutbad?"

Minato shook his head frantically. "No, he's a Koschie," he said quickly. "Um, look, we're not supposed to talk about Wesen stuff in the open like this, so…"

"Very well. We shall go to my place and you will tell me everything you know about your kind," nodded the Grimm/Sekirei. Without warning, she swept him off his feet, carrying him bridal style, and leapt over two metres into the nearest tree then to the rooftops.

The sudden altitude made Minato want to scream, but the proximity with Tsukiumi killed his voice. Stuck between the two, he decided to just shut up and close his eyes.

After what seemed to be centuries, Tsukiumi finally stopped. Opening his eyes, Minato saw that they had landed in a balcony of a high-rise building. There was a window to his left that showed him a lavishly decorated room, with large king-size bed, fine mahogany furniture, and a large television screen though he noticed that its power cable was unplugged. Apparently, Tsukiumi wasn't a fan of television, which suited him just fine.

Said blonde quickly ushered him into the room, pushing him down on the bed before taking a seat beside him. "Now, tell me about your kind," she prompted.

I=I

"Well, Blutbadden are amongst the strongest Wesen there is," Tsukiumi's Ashikabi replied with a hint of pride. "There are very few that could beat us in term of physical strength and most of them are quite rare nowadays."

Tsukiumi nodded, feeling a bit proud that she had made him her Ashikabi.

"But in all, we're pretty mundane," Minato added modestly. "Aside from our strength, nose, and ears, we have no special ability."

"What about your godfather? The Cache?"

"Koschie, also known in their homeland as 'The Deathless'," he corrected. "He's physically stronger than normal human, though not to my level. However, they are more dangerous than I am because he could kill with a touch, but they could also heal any and all ailment. They are one of the most durable Wesen there is along with the Seigbarste. The only way to reliably kill them is to cut off their head."

Tsukiumi filed that piece of information later. Perhaps the priest's ability would become useful later. "How many kind of wesen are there?"

"A lot," shrugged Minato. "I know some of them."

He then explained what Wesen was, which boiled down to 'parahuman/supernatural creatures that lived alongside human and served as the inspiration for legends, myth, and fairy tale' and proceeded to list off all the Wesen he knew while Tsukiumi memorized them, occasionally asking questions to clarify things. An hour later, Tsukiumi could list all the Wesen her Ashikabi knew and their characteristic, from the stern and fearless Manticores to the friendly but solitary Wildermanner. He also told her of the Gesetzbuch Ehrenkodex, the book of law that guided the Wesen society and forbid them from revealing themselves to the world at large under the threat of death to all those who violate it.

The last bit explained why he didn't look too bothered when the Director threatened him about the consequences of revealing the Sekirei Plan to the public.

Next was the question that Tsukiumi dreaded, "You've eaten human, right?" she asked, though she immediately knew the answer when guilt spread over his face.

"… Yes. For Wesen like the Blutbad and Damonfeuer, it's a regular thing," he said quietly. "It helps Damonfeuer to breathe fire while we Blutbadden don't need to eat for 7 to 10 days after consuming a human. I don't ate human until two years ago when… well, I lost control."

"Lost control?"

"I… got mixed with a bad pack," he admitted, looking like a kicked puppy. "My mother was Wieder Blutbad—Blutbad that does not live the violent lifestyle—so you can imagine how angry she got, especially when I got my sister involved in it."

"But you're back on that Wieder path, right?" she asked sharply. The messy-haired man nodded frantically, his fearful look returning. "Good. I won't have my husband be a savage cannibal."

"Wait what?" Minato blinked. "Husband?"

"Of course. The contract between Sekirei and her Ashikabi is a form of marriage," she huffed proudly. Minato tried to speak several time but a hard glare from Tsukiumi quickly made him abandon the attempt. "So, what is a Grimm?"

"My mother said they are people who can see into the heart of darkness, someone who could see things people don't and won't understand," Minato replied. "They are special humans, people who could see us for what we are. They also have this 'sixth sense' of sort that can detect a Wesen when nearby."

Tsukiumi remembered the slight electric tension that she felt whenever she got close to those that could transform, which marked them as Wesen. That must be the sixth sense her Ashikabi was talking of.

"A Grimm also possesses slightly superhuman speed, strength, reflex, agility, and even a little regenerative power that allowed them go toe-to-toe with many Wesen. However, I think they have some adaptive ability too, since they get stronger with every confrontation," Minato shuddered. "A lot of veteran Grimms, especially ones that worked for the Royals, is nigh-unbeatable because of this."

The Sekirei of Water had to pause at this revelation. No wonder Minato was afraid of her when he still thought of her as a Grimm. Going by the description alone, the Grimms sounded quite horrifying. Then a whimsical thought struck her. What if her Ashikabi was right and she was a Grimm? If this was the case, then she had the potential to grow even stronger than her fellow Sekirei. Then someday, she would be strong enough to defeat the dreaded Number 4.

She wondered if there was any way to get in touch with her adjustor again just so she could confirm this.

"Um… can I ask a question?"

"Of course my husband," smiled Tsukiumi. "What do you want to know?"

"Umm… what is a Sekirei? I know you're not Wesen, but that's it," he said, scratching his head sheepishly.

She supposed it was fair for her to explain what a Sekirei was since he had been so kind to tell her everything he knew about Wesen. "While you Wesen belong to this world, we Sekirei did not," she began. "We all came in a spaceship that crashed centuries ago as either a foetus or an embryo."

Minato met her response with a look of wonderment. "Wow," he finally said. "So aliens are real, not just Gluhenvolk's mistaken identity."

Tsukiumi's nose crinkled at the comparison, "Please don't compare my kind to glowing lizard people, husband," she muttered.

"S-s-sorry," he apologized.

"Anyhow, we are powerful warriors, possessing abilities beyond that of a normal human," she continued, puffing her chest proudly. She then summoned a sphere of water to hover over her hand and allowed Minato to gawk at it. "I am the Sekirei of Water for I hold dominion over it."

"So I guess you don't need an axe," he chuckled lightly.

"Of course, someone as strong me does not require such vulgar weapon," scoffed the blonde before she got up. "I shall take a bath now. We'll continue this talk tomorrow."

"Uh… alright," nodded Minato, who seemed perflexed.

Tsukiumi smiled shyly at his reaction and sauntered into the bathroom. She hurried through her bath, wanting to finish it as soon as she could while not skipping through any steps required to clean her body thoroughly. She wanted to be at her best when they consummated their bond for the night.

She stepped out of the bathroom as ready as ever, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders and back, and opened her mouth to call on Minato. She stopped however, when she saw him seated on one of the chairs, his head hanging limply from his head as he drew slow, deep breaths. Evidently, his work and the revelations he had to face for the day exhausted him terribly.

While she felt disappointment, she was more than willing to play the understanding wife. Furthermore, he would develop a nasty pain on his neck if he were to continue sleeping like that. Gently, she lifted him from his chair and deposited his limp body on the bed. She joined him shortly after, wearing the elegant nightgown she had chosen for herself and snuggled against her Ashikabi.

For now, she was content in resting her head against his chest. To hear his slow, rhythmical breathing and the strong beat of his heart. He wasn't going anywhere for he was her Ashikabi.

"And my Big Bad Wolf."

_I=====================I_

_A/N: __Hello all and welcome to my first ever fanfic. While a crossover between Grimm and Sekirei might sound weird, it actually is. _

_Thank you for reading and do drop a review so I can improve on it. _


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